AfterashortinterruptionMr。Rushworthbeganagain。
　　“Smith’splaceistheadmirationofallthecountry；
　　anditwasamerenothingbeforeReptontookitinhand。
　　IthinkIshallhaveRepton。“
　　“Mr。Rushworth，“saidLadyBertram，“ifIwereyou，Iwouldhaveaveryprettyshrubbery。Onelikestogetoutintoashrubberyinfineweather。“
　　Mr。Rushworthwaseagertoassureherladyshipofhisacquiescence，andtriedtomakeoutsomethingcomplimentary；
　　but，betweenhissubmissionto_her_taste，andhishavingalwaysintendedthesamehimself，withthesuperaddedobjectsofprofessingattentiontothecomfortofladiesingeneral，andofinsinuatingthattherewasoneonlywhomhewasanxioustoplease，hegrewpuzzled，andEdmundwasgladtoputanendtohisspeechbyaproposalofwine。
　　Mr。Rushworth，however，thoughnotusuallyagreattalker，hadstillmoretosayonthesubjectnexthisheart。
　　“Smithhasnotmuchaboveahundredacresaltogetherinhisgrounds，whichislittleenough，andmakesitmoresurprisingthattheplacecanhavebeensoimproved。
　　Now，atSothertonwehaveagoodsevenhundred，withoutreckoningthewatermeadows；sothatIthink，ifsomuchcouldbedoneatCompton，weneednotdespair。
　　Therehavebeentwoorthreefineoldtreescutdown，thatgrewtoonearthehouse，anditopenstheprospectamazingly，whichmakesmethinkthatRepton，oranybodyofthatsort，wouldcertainlyhavetheavenueatSothertondown：theavenuethatleadsfromthewestfronttothetopofthehill，youknow，“turningtoMissBertramparticularlyashespoke。
　　ButMissBertramthoughtitmostbecomingtoreply——
　　“Theavenue!Oh!Idonotrecollectit。IreallyknowverylittleofSotherton。“
　　Fanny，whowassittingontheothersideofEdmund，exactlyoppositeMissCrawford，andwhohadbeenattentivelylistening，nowlookedathim，andsaidinalowvoice——
　　“Cutdownanavenue!Whatapity!DoesitnotmakeyouthinkofCowper？’Yefallenavenues，oncemoreImournyourfateunmerited。’“
　　Hesmiledasheanswered，“Iamafraidtheavenuestandsabadchance，Fanny。“
　　“IshouldliketoseeSothertonbeforeitiscutdown，toseetheplaceasitisnow，initsoldstate；butIdonotsupposeIshall。“
　　“Haveyouneverbeenthere？No，younevercan；
　　and，unluckily，itisoutofdistanceforaride。
　　Iwishwecouldcontriveit。“
　　“Oh!itdoesnotsignify。WheneverIdoseeit，youwilltellmehowithasbeenaltered。“
　　“Icollect，“saidMissCrawford，“thatSothertonisanoldplace，andaplaceofsomegrandeur。
　　Inanyparticularstyleofbuilding？“
　　“ThehousewasbuiltinElizabeth’stime，andisalarge，regular，brickbuilding；heavy，butrespectablelooking，andhasmanygoodrooms。Itisillplaced。Itstandsinoneofthelowestspotsofthepark；inthatrespect，unfavourableforimprovement。Butthewoodsarefine，andthereisastream，which，Idaresay，mightbemadeagooddealof。Mr。Rushworthisquiteright，Ithink，inmeaningtogiveitamoderndress，andIhavenodoubtthatitwillbealldoneextremelywell。“
　　MissCrawfordlistenedwithsubmission，andsaidtoherself，“Heisawell-bredman；hemakesthebestofit。“
　　“IdonotwishtoinfluenceMr。Rushworth，“hecontinued；
　　“but，hadIaplacetonewfashion，Ishouldnotputmyselfintothehandsofanimprover。Iwouldratherhaveaninferiordegreeofbeauty，ofmyownchoice，andacquiredprogressively。Iwouldratherabidebymyownblundersthanbyhis。“
　　“_You_wouldknowwhatyouwereabout，ofcourse；
　　butthatwouldnotsuit_me_。Ihavenoeyeoringenuityforsuchmatters，butastheyarebeforeme；
　　andhadIaplaceofmyowninthecountry，IshouldbemostthankfultoanyMr。Reptonwhowouldundertakeit，andgivemeasmuchbeautyashecouldformymoney；
　　andIshouldneverlookatittillitwascomplete。“
　　“Itwouldbedelightfulto_me_toseetheprogressofitall，“saidFanny。
　　“Ay，youhavebeenbroughtuptoit。Itwasnopartofmyeducation；andtheonlydoseIeverhad，beingadministeredbynotthefirstfavouriteintheworld，hasmademeconsiderimprovements_in__hand_asthegreatestofnuisances。
　　ThreeyearsagotheAdmiral，myhonoureduncle，boughtacottageatTwickenhamforusalltospendoursummersin；
　　andmyauntandIwentdowntoitquiteinraptures；
　　butitbeingexcessivelypretty，itwassoonfoundnecessarytobeimproved，andforthreemonthswewerealldirtandconfusion，withoutagravelwalktostepon，orabenchfitforuse。Iwouldhaveeverythingascompleteaspossibleinthecountry，shrubberiesandflower-gardens，andrusticseatsinnumerable：butitmustallbedonewithoutmycare。Henryisdifferent；helovestobedoing。“
　　EdmundwassorrytohearMissCrawford，whomhewasmuchdisposedtoadmire，speaksofreelyofheruncle。
　　Itdidnotsuithissenseofpropriety，andhewassilenced，tillinducedbyfurthersmilesandlivelinesstoputthematterbyforthepresent。
　　“Mr。Bertram，“saidshe，“Ihavetidingsofmyharpatlast。
　　IamassuredthatitissafeatNorthampton；andthereithasprobablybeenthesetendays，inspiteofthesolemnassuranceswehavesooftenreceivedtothecontrary。“
　　Edmundexpressedhispleasureandsurprise。“Thetruthis，thatourinquiriesweretoodirect；wesentaservant，wewentourselves：thiswillnotdoseventymilesfromLondon；
　　butthismorningweheardofitintherightway。
　　Itwasseenbysomefarmer，andhetoldthemiller，andthemillertoldthebutcher，andthebutcher’sson-in-lawleftwordattheshop。“
　　“Iamverygladthatyouhaveheardofit，bywhatevermeans，andhopetherewillbenofurtherdelay。“
　　“Iamtohaveitto-morrow；buthowdoyouthinkitistobeconveyed？Notbyawagonorcart：ohno!
　　nothingofthatkindcouldbehiredinthevillage。
　　Imightaswellhaveaskedforportersandahandbarrow。“
　　“Youwouldfinditdifficult，Idaresay，justnow，inthemiddleofaverylatehayharvest，tohireahorseandcart？“
　　“Iwasastonishedtofindwhatapieceofworkwasmadeofit!
　　Towantahorseandcartinthecountryseemedimpossible，soItoldmymaidtospeakforonedirectly；andasIcannotlookoutofmydressing-closetwithoutseeingonefarmyard，norwalkintheshrubberywithoutpassinganother，Ithoughtitwouldbeonlyaskandhave，andwasrathergrievedthatIcouldnotgivetheadvantagetoall。
　　Guessmysurprise，whenIfoundthatIhadbeenaskingthemostunreasonable，mostimpossiblethingintheworld；
　　hadoffendedallthefarmers，allthelabourers，allthehayintheparish!AsforDr。Grant’sbailiff，IbelieveIhadbetterkeepoutof_his_way；andmybrother-in-lawhimself，whoisallkindnessingeneral，lookedratherblackuponmewhenhefoundwhatIhadbeenat。“
　　“Youcouldnotbeexpectedtohavethoughtonthesubjectbefore；
　　butwhenyou_do_thinkofit，youmustseetheimportanceofgettinginthegrass。Thehireofacartatanytimemightnotbesoeasyasyousuppose：ourfarmersarenotinthehabitoflettingthemout；but，inharvest，itmustbequiteoutoftheirpowertospareahorse。“
　　“Ishallunderstandallyourwaysintime；but，comingdownwiththetrueLondonmaxim，thateverythingistobegotwithmoney，Iwasalittleembarrassedatfirstbythesturdyindependenceofyourcountrycustoms。
　　However，Iamtohavemyharpfetchedto-morrow。Henry，whoisgood-natureitself，hasofferedtofetchitinhisbarouche。Willitnotbehonourablyconveyed？“
　　Edmundspokeoftheharpashisfavouriteinstrument，andhopedtobesoonallowedtohearher。Fannyhadneverheardtheharpatall，andwishedforitverymuch。
　　“Ishallbemosthappytoplaytoyouboth，“saidMissCrawford；“atleastaslongasyoucanliketolisten：
　　probablymuchlonger，forIdearlylovemusicmyself，andwherethenaturaltasteisequaltheplayermustalwaysbebestoff，forsheisgratifiedinmorewaysthanone。Now，Mr。Bertram，ifyouwritetoyourbrother，Ientreatyoutotellhimthatmyharpiscome：